Children starving to death is “of grave concern” says World Vision UK.
Press Release, 11 March 2024, London – International aid agency World Vision is deeply concerned by the increasing reports of children dying from starvation in the Gaza Strip, even after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an independent and apolitical mechanism, warned of increasing risk of famine in December 2023.
At least 15 children are reported to have died of starvation in Gazan hospitals, but the number is likely to be much higher. World Vision calls for immediate action from the international community to avoid an unprecedented catastrophe.
“Like in many other conflicts, starvation and child deaths are preventable if the right humanitarian help is reaching them on time. These reports show that time is running out and that the immediate delivery of food and other lifesaving humanitarian aid is now a question of life or death for the children who have been caught up in this crisis,” says Eleanor Monbiot, World Vision Regional Leader, Middle East Eastern Europe.
Famine has not been declared anywhere in the world since 2017 in South Sudan, where more than 1 million children were already acutely malnourished before the declaration was made. However, half of those who died did so before a formal declaration was made, which is why – even without a formal declaration – these warnings must be taken seriously if we are going to be able to save children’s lives in the Gaza Strip. No population is more vulnerable to the devastating immediate and long-term impacts of hunger and malnutrition than children; yet they are not getting the basic nourishment they need to function, much less grow and flourish.
Fola Komolafe MBE LD, World Vision UK CEO says, “In the face of unimaginable suffering, we cannot afford to look away. Children in the Gaza Strip are not statistics; they are stories of resilience, courage, and hope struggling to survive amidst the conflict. They are enduring the dire consequences of this conflict. Urgent actions are vital – an increase in humanitarian aid and a lasting ceasefire are desperately needed.
We must act urgently; no child should ever endure such suffering. Their lives are not negotiable, and their rights, as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, demand protection. Let us stand together to ensure that every child's right to nourishment, dignity, and peace is fiercely protected."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information, please contact: Karla Harvey at karla.harvey@worldvision.org.uk or phone +44 7889 631613.
World Vision does not operate in Gaza, but the organisation does deliver critical humanitarian assistance to vulnerable children and their families across the region, including lifesaving in-kind food and cash and voucher assistance; access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene needs; psychosocial support to affected children and their families; and reducing/mitigating predictable humanitarian impacts from negatively affecting at-risk populations through anticipatory action and resilience building.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian and development organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision and their partners are working in communities to improve families’ economic prospects, strength violence prevention and child protection services, and improve education systems.
Through World Vision’s Global Hunger Response and ENOUGH campaign, the organisation is responding to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable girls, boys, and their families who are experiencing acute hunger in 28 countries of highest alert where World Vision operates, highlighting the driving factors and impacts of hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity on children globally, and advocating to governments and donors to do more to prevent mass starvation.
World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
